The excerpt reflects a societal attitude of skepticism towards the supernatural in Wharton's time.
Gothic elements in Wharton's time: The gothic element in the excerpt reflects a social attitude of Wharton's time where the narrator is dismissed by her superiors when she asks questions about a potentially supernatural occurrence. This dismissal shows a societal skepticism towards the supernatural and a lack of belief in the narrator's experience, typical of the gothic genre's atmosphere of mystery and disbelief.
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